Socket for tubes



Nov. 4, 1930. w. c, MacFADDEN SOCKET FOR TUBES 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1929 M Mm K w m. Kr

mm mm:

N08 4, 1930. W, MacFADDEN 1,780,778

SOCKET FOR TUBES Filed Feb. 21, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT] oFrlca' 7 wrnroan o. MACFADDEN, or FOX CHASE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIIR 'ro truer: H. EIBY,

or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA SOCKET FOR TUBES Application filed February 21, 1929 Serial No, 341,695.

My invention relates to a socket for pin terminals of any electrical device such as a plug terminus of a cable, avacuum tube or means for making satisfactory single or multiple detachable connection in an electric circuit.

' One purpose of my invention is to range the passages of a multiple socket receptacle for the pin terminals of a. radio tube around the out-sidecircumference ofa raised circular boss, using the boss to guide the pin terminals into their passages.

A further purpose is to make a boss guide on a socket receptacle for the pin terminals of a radio tube'or plug connection non-integral with the body of the receptacle.

. A further purpose is to provide a vacuum tube receptacle with interchangeable guide-v I the pin and also exerts its clamping pressure at the middle of the length of the element so members of the diiferent colors that are used in the art to designate the different kinds of tubes, in order that the same receptacle may in use be given the correct color marking forv any one of a number of different kinds of tubes .with which it is adapted to be used, or may have its color marking readilychanged if the kind'of tube with which it is to be used is changed.

A further purpose is to provide a punched spring metal contact member for the pin terminal of a radio tube or the like that is adapted to engage a considerable portion of the length of thepin upon opposite sides thereof to accomplish a low resistance contact.

A further purpose is to provide a strip contact element to engage longitudinally along a pin terminal with resilient support near the middle of its length so as to permit the strip to angularly accommodate its position to that of the pin and to secure uniformity in pressure distribution along its entire length of engagement with the pin.

Afurther purpose is to provide a spring metal connecting strip with a double tongue intermediate the width of the strip and integral with the strip having connection with the body of the strip at opposite sides at an intermediate point of its length.

A further purpose is to make contact elements upon opposite sides of a pin terminal integral portions of ,theopposing armsof a metal U strip support and connector, each contact element being connected at opposite sides near the middle of its length- .to the U opposite sides thereof at an intermediate point of the tongue, the tongue contact element being adapted to tighten along its whole length against a prong terminal by deflecting the strip at its points of connection with the element.

A further purpose is to provide a type of spring connector that automatically conforms to any variation or, imperfection in the surface of the pin connector along the length of as to maintain uniform clamping action along the length of the connector. l

. A further purpose is to offset a tongue connector from the planeof a supporting strip with which it is integral in, order to provide clearance for'angular movement of the .tongue with respect to the supporting strip.

A fturther purpose is to vary the end extensions of a spring metal U strip carrying dou ble tongue contact elements according to the character of its mount.

A further purpose is to provide a spring metal U strip connector carrying tongue contact elements upon the U arms intermediate the width of the strip, with a roughened end at right angles to the" arm of the U in order to secure more firm connection between the said bent end and its insulation mount.

A further purpose is to mount U strip connectors around a punched plate by means of a single fastener member, preferably a hollow rivet passing through the plate and overlapping ends of the U connector.

A further purpose is to mount the body portion of a U strip connector in a moulded insulation mount having passages for the pins of a radio tube. base or plug connector holding the connectors to place in suitable cavities in the mount by a bottom covet-plate.

A further purpose is to provide a form oi I a 1616-ofFigui'e 15.

. spring contact member that adapted to be mounted upon the back of a single plate of insulation material adaptedto present oppos ing spring contact membersto engage opposite sldes of a prong terminal, avoiding the 1 need for a cover plate.v Y

Further purposes Wlll appear in the spec 'ification and in the claims.

I have elected to illustrate a. few only; of the different forms of my invention, select ng forms that are practical and efiicientlin operation and which well illustrate the principles involved.

Figures land 2 are fragmentary side elevations illu'stratingtwo desirable forms of a contact member'that embodies an important detailof my invention. I

Figure 3 is a section takenupon the line 3-'3 of Figure 2.- Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the .structures shown in Figures 1 and 2-respec-I tively.

. Figure 6 1s a fragmentary view illustrating diagrammatically the application of the contact element illustrated in Figures 1 and Figures 7-and 8 are sectional elevations through slightly different forms of a vacuum tube contact receptacle in mounted positions and embodying desirable forms of my lnvention.

. Figure 9 is a top plan view of'Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a sectional elevation illustrat-.

' ing my double contact element mounted upon 3 Figure 15 is form of vacuum tube receptacle, in-which my;

a fiber pane for cooperation with a single pin terminal.

f, Figurell is a sectional side elevation of another-desirable form of my inventlon, the

View corresponding'otherwise to Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 12 is a top plan view of Figure 11. Figure 13 is. a view similar to Figure 11 but showing a somewhat different form.

\ Figure 14 isa fragment illustrating a detail modification of the forms of Figures 11 and13.

a top plan'view of another double contact elements are in a moulded insulation mount. 5

Figure 16 is a section takenupon the line form of metal connectoi' for cooperation with a p'i'ong electric terminal and is also directed} at a desirable form of socket receptacle for use with a-vacuum tube or other plug andpin connectors, a receptacle that includes a plurality of connectors which are preferably of 3 my own desirable form. y The most essential features of my connector I are shown in Figures 1 to 6.

Each connector includes contact elements 20 and 2O that are resiliently supported-by lateral extensions 21 from opposite sides of the element at an intermediate portion thereof, the extensions-21 presenting 'the connector elements in positions to engage opposite sides of a pin terminal 22 when. that terminal is forced between the elements, and being inte grally: connected to a resilient mount that adapts the extensions to be resiliently retracted-toward their initial osition whenever def flected outwardly by t e insertion of a pin terminal.

' The opposing connector elements are thus presented by their supporting extensions 21 so that the cont-act surfaces of'the elements are parallel and normally spaced from one another a distance somewhat less than the diameter of the pin terminal with which they are to operate.

Preferably the contact surfaces areconcaved to register with the convex surface of the pin terminal. The pin terminal is'preferably inserted for somewhatmore' than the full length of the contact eleinents and during insertion pushes the elements apart by forcing the supporting extensions at the sides of the contact elements outwardly against the retractive force of the mount for these extensionsv I The contact elements are free to accommodate their -positions Iangularly -on an axis through the middle of the extensions 21 by resiliently twisting the extensionsiand thus are adapted to accommodate their engaging surfaces to fit along the surfacesof the pin,

irrespective of variation in the alignment of the surfaces of the pin and the concentration 9 force at the middle of the contact elements, that is at the extension. supports 21 effects a uniform distribution of this force along the length of the contact element.

In the forms shown I have madeeach spring contact element an integral portion of one side'23 or 23' of a springmetal U strip and preferably offset the contact ele-- ment from'the plane of the strip on the side of the U carrying the element and to which the element is integrally joined. I In'the form of Figures 2 and 5 the arms of the U are offset outwardly from the respective contact elements integralportions of vthe respective arms while in the form shown 'in Figures 1 and 4 the U arms that support the si de extensions from the contact member and therefore support the contact element are oiiset inwardly from the contact members.

In each case the normal distance between the contact elements is the same, being that "variant in form. to. best fit different kinds determined by the sizeof the pin terminal with which they arev to operate.

These two forms, one in which the supporting U arms are ofi'set outwardly from the contact elements and the other in which the supporting U arms are offset inwardly from the contact elements have each advantages and may either one be preferable under suitably difi'erent circumstances.

The principal reason for the offsetting of the contact element with respect to the U arm that carries the element is to provide definite clearance between the adjoining edges, 24 and 25, of the contact elements and the supporting U arms.

From the standpoint of mere clearance, it makes little difference which form is used.

The inward offsetting of the arms with respect to the contact elements brings the U arms closer'together and results in an adaptation for the body of the connector to pass smaller openings while an offset outwardly has some advantages from a manufacturing standpoint and also results in a more easy bend'at the connecting portion 26 between the two arms of the U.

The connectors are provided with tail extensions 27 and 28 at .the outer end of the U arm. Y

These extensions are bent initially at right angles to the arms carrying the contact elements and-are used for-supporting the connector and also for providing a terminal for 4 connection to an electric circuit.

The tail ends may be bent in opposite directions away from the arms of the U as indicated in Figures 1, 7 and 8 or may be bent in the same direction-as in Figures 11 and 12 so that one tail passes across the intermediate space between the-connectors to overlap the other tail, the tail that crosses the space be- I tween the contact elements being sutiably perforated to give'clearance passage for the pin terminal used with the connector.

Obviously the tail bends may be widely of mounts.

I I may clamp .the connector elements to place by insulation members upon'opposite sides of the right bend tail'pieces registering the body of the connector to place by giving it asuitable interlocking connection with one or both of the insulation members.

, My connector is obviously well adapted for use with either a single socket or multiple passage receptacle, and in Figure 10 I show asingle passage form,the connector being fastened by bolts 29 through its tail extensions to the back or bottom of an insulation plate 30, one of the tail ends of the connector being extended at 31 to provide a suitable terminal for connecting into a radio or other circuit.

The pin terminal'32 with which the connector is pushed between the contact elements through a suitable opening 33 in the it u plate forcing the contact elements apart with a resultant spreading of the side extension members 21 against the resilientretraction offered by the U member'carrying the two contact elements.

The contact elements preferably flare away from one another at each endat '34, at one end' to permit easy-entry of the prong terminal 32 and at the other end to insure eas withdrawal of the terminal even if the raised portions 35 which in practice has not infrequently been the case with the prong terminals of some commercial vacuum tube. I haveshown a number of desirable forms of my vacuum tube receptacle in each case showing the terminal corresponding to that of Figures .1 and 4 in that the U arms 23 are olfset outwardly from the-contact elements 20. It will be understood that the showing of the contact elements in these different forms is intended to be a conventional one forany connector that is adapted to operate in the way intended.

, Figures 7 and 8 show slightly variant forms of my invention that are articularly of the terminal should have one or more projecting inwardly through suitable positioning openings 41 in the lower plate with tle tlail bends 28 and 27 lying flat on the top 0 t e he upper plate is suitably perforated at 42 above the terminal members and. the plates are held together by a single fastenmg member 43 at the center. One ofthe tail bends is provided" with an upwardly extending point portion 44 which fits into asmall hole-45-in the upper plate wardly through an opening 46 to provide a terminal 31 for connecting to a radio cir cuit.

I preferably rovide a raised boss 47 upon the top 0 the upper plate place so that the holes 42 for the prongs of the vacuum tube are ranged around the outside circumference of this boss, thus adapting the boss to use as a guide when placing the vacuum tube in order to permit-the tube prongs to be more easily guided to their proper passages. y

Figure 9 may be consideredas a top plan view of either Figures 7 or 8. The bottom late and clamped to place by the vup er p ate 38.

while theother tail bend is extended downplate in Figure 7 and both plates in Fig- The upper plate in. Figure 7 fills the opening 39 of the-chassis plate 40 giving an exterior surface even with the outer surface of n plate may vary considerably without affectclamped between the inner end of they ing held to place by their suitableinterlock.

the plate 40 while in Figure 8 the outer contours of the upper and lower plates are alilre and the size of the opening 39 in the chassls ing the applicationof the receptacle. It will be seen that in both the forms shown in Figures 7 and 8 a single fastening -member 43 holds all of the parts of the receptacle together, the terminal members being with the plates at their tailiends and also by holding the plates together upon the tail bends.

In Figure 11 I eliminate the upper plate mounting the connector members upon the means 51 passing through the upper plate 50, the j lower side of an insulation plate 50 which is adapted to overlap the bottom ofthe opening 39 through the plate 40 of theradio receiver chassis.

The tail ends of the terminal members are bentin the same direction, overlapping at one side of the'connector and the overlapping ends being fastened to the plate 50 by of an eyelet 51. One of the overlapping ends is extended at 31 for connection to the electric circuit, not shown.

The formof Figure 13 is very similar to thatof Figure 11 except that theupper plate 50' is made-of a size tofit inside the opening 39 in the cabinet plate 40 and an insulation supporting Washer 52 overlaps both the bottom of the chassis plate 40 and that of the insulation plate 50', the eyelets insulated washer member 52 and the intermediate tail bends of the connectors. The whole receptacle is fastened .tothe chassis plate at 49', as in the forms of Figures 7 and 8.

The different receptacles thus far descrlbed are composite receptacles made up by assembling the connectors tail ends outward w1th one or more insulation plates that are adapted to be stamped out ,of larger plates, the assembled unit including no moulded insulation and with the U bend ends of the connectors directed inwardly from the cabinet plate 40.

I may however space the connectors with their U ends directly outwardly toward the vacuum tube and in this event preferably case the connector members in moulded insulation, for example as in the receptacle shown in Fi ure 15 to 18 inclusive. a

In igures 15 to 18 the connectors present their U bend ends 53 outwardly andnormally upwardly from the metal plate 40 of the radio cabinet and are cased in a moulded insulation body 54.

commercial standpointpresents a Very desirable appearance. a p

The moulded body has cavities 55 inwardly from its inner end to case the individual con- Y nectors and suitable holes 42 inwardl from the outer end of the body are alined with the spaces between the contact members of the I connectors.

The tail end portions of the connectors are moulded body and a bottom cover plate which is fastened to the body by a central tubular rivet 58 moulded in the o of the radio cabinet while the base plate 57 dy. "The f cover plate 57 forms a supporting base plate overlaps the plate 40, and may be exactly similar to that shown in Figures 7 and 8.

One important feature of my invention isdirected at a raisedboss 47 outwardly from the middle of the receiving side of the re-..

'ceptacle, tangent with the holes 42 'that' receive the prongs of the vacuum tube. I range the holes 42 around the outside circumference of the boss 47 so that the'outside of the boss may be used for guiding theprongs of the vacuum tube to the holes 42. v

The guiding boss. 47 may be integral with the outer member of the receptacle as in the form of Figures 15 to 18 where it is a moulded boss upon a moulded body or as in Figure 14 where the boss guide 42 has been formed by compressing the'onter plate of the receptacle between suitable dies, while the plate is preferably suitably softened by heat. More desirably the guiding boss 47 may be made froma member initially separate from the outer member of the receptacle as in all of the other forms shown. I

I find it usuallv desirable to color the boss according to the kind of vacuum tube that is to be used with the receptacle. In present practice different kinds of vacuum tubes are characterized by different characteristic colors, :1 given color on avacuum tube receptacle showing, the kind of vacuum tube to be used in the receptacle.

I make the guide boss 47 of this character-- istic color so that it gives an indication as to the kind of vacuum tube that is to be used in the receptacle or of the purpose for which a Frequently the socket may .be used with difierent kinds of vacuum tubes normally event I make the guide member removable from the outer member of the receptacle so that guide members of diiferent colors may be interchangeably mounted upon the outer represented by different colors and in this surface of the receptacle, as shown in F igure 8. I

Where the guide boss is integral with the outer member of the receptacle cover I preferably provide its outer surface with a central cavity 60 for use in filling in suitable coloring matter by the customer as determined by the kind of vacuum tube or plug connector with which the receptacle is to be used.

In view-of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to

obtain all or part of the benefits of my inven-- tion without copying the structure shown, and I therefore, claim allsuch in so far as they fall Within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 5 V Patent is: p

1. In a punched metal spring connector for a pin terminal, a-spring metal U strip having support at the ends of the strip, a contact element for engagement along one side of the terminal punched from an interior of each U arm portion of the strip, having free ends and intermediate sideextensions integrally joining the contact element to the bod of the strip,'with the contact element oifset rom the plane of the strip toward the U exterior.

2. In a punched metal spring connector for a pin terminal, a spring metal U strip having support at the ends of the strip, a contact element for engagement alo'ng one side of the terminal punched from an interior portion of each U arm having free ends flaring outwardly from the U interior and having side extensions integrally joining the body of the supporting strip.

3. In an integral, spring connector for a pin terminal, a metal U strip having ends of the strip at the outer ends of the U arms bent outwardly from the arms of the -U and 'contact elements stamped from intermediate portions of the respective U arms offset from' the arms and joined thereto at opposite sides ofan intermediate point, the contact elements being substantially parallel to the arms of the U to receive the pm terminal.

WILFORD C. MACFADDEN. 

